Can closing machine



Aug- 28, 1945- A. A. sAALBAcn-n 2,383,513

CAN CLOSING MACHINE Filed Sept. 3, 1942 2 Sheets-Shee. l

Aug- 28, 1945- A. A. sAALBAcH CAN CLOSING MACHINE Filed sept. 45, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 28, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE c y CAN cusvsliacmna Arthur A. Saalbach, East Orange, N. J., assigner to malga) :llaqi 33121231 New York, N. Y., a cor- Application September 3, 19.42, Serial No. 457,211

place over an end seam 2 Claims. (Cl. 113-23) The present invention relates to can closing machines for seaming sheet metal end members least as a unit part of the seam forming operation. Numerous other objects and advantages of the onto containers or cans adapted to receive a roinvention will be apparent as it is better undertatable cover and has particular reference to apstood from the following description, which, taken plying lubricant to the can endseam during its in connection with the accompanying drawings, formation to facilitate free rotation of the cover oses a preferred embodiment thereof. when it is subsequently applied to the can. Referring to the drawings:

, In the manufacture of Vsome s ifter. top cans, v `Figure 1 is a side viewv of the upper portion of a such as used for powders and the like materials, canclosing machine embodying the instantiathe rotatable cover or cap member iscrimped in ,lo

of the can. .These covers are usually made from a zinc base material which a n permits of easy sliding or rotating operation lon the end seam of the can. With the scarcity tof I zinc base materials due to their use in war production. other materials such as tin plate and black iron plate have had to be substituted to make these covers.

Numerous difficulties have been encountered in the use of tin plate and black iron plate for these covers, in that such materials are considerably harder and'stiier than the zinc base materials and this tends toward avvarlation in nt between the covers and the end seams over which they are applied. Such variation in fit sometimes creates considerable friction between the cover and the end seam and thus prevents proper rotation of the cover. Furthermore, tin plate and black iron plate lmaterials sometimes rust and this also holds the cover against free rotation on the can.

The present invention contemplates overcoming these difdculties by providing a device which.

applies a lubricant to the end seam of the can as the seam is being formed so that the cover when subsequently crimped in place on the seam will rotate freely.

An object therefore, of the invention is the provision in a can closing machine of a lubricating device which operates to deposit a thin film of lubricant onto the end seam oi' a sifter top can as the seam is being made, to reduce friction between a metal cover subsequently applied over the end seam and to thereby provide for free rotation of the cover on the can.-

ventionl with parts broken away and parts shown insectiou: A u

Fig'. 2 is a transverse sectional detail taken substantiallyalong the vertical line 2 2 in Fig. 1, with parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view .of the upper end of one form of a container having a rotatable cover applied to an end seam which is lubricated by the device of the instant invention;

Fig. 4 is ahorizontal section taken substantially 810118 the line 4 4 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged front view of the lubricating device and the can closing head of the machine shown in Fig. 1 as viewed from the left in that ngure' with a can in place in the machine, parts of the device, the head, and the canvbeing shown in section and other parts being broken away.

As a preferred embodiment of the instant invention the drawings illustrate principal parts of a can closing` machinevof the character disclosed in United States Patent 1,173,329, issued February 29, 1916, to L. N. Trudeau, on Can crimping machine. The machine is' used for seeming metal sitter top can ends A (Fig. 3) to fibre can b'odies B in suitable end seams C produced by turning inwardly or intel-folding flange parts on the can ends alone or on both the can ends and the bodies. During this seamin'g operation according to the present invention, a lubricant is applied to the outer surface of the end seam.

After such a seeming operation a rotatable perforated cover D may be crimped in place over the lubricated end seam, as shown in Fig'. 3. This produces a sitter can oi' the character disclosed Another object is the lprovision of such a lubriin United States Patent Number 1,203,872. issued cating device which is simple in construction and November 7, 1916, to J. R. Harbeck on Dredging operation and which operates in conjunction with can the forming of the end seam in the usual type of can closing machine so that the lubricant willl applied to the seam simultaneously with or at lifter Dad Il (Fig. 1)

uniting a can end A with a body B includes a upon which the body is placed in a vertical position after receiving the can end loosely superimposed thereon. The lifter pad is rotatably mounted on the upper end of a vertical actua sing rod I2 which slides in a bearing I3 formed on a column I4 which consti tutes the main frame of the machine. Vertical movement of the lifter pad may be obtained in any suitable manner, preferably by a means of connecting foot -treadle as disclosed in the above mentioned Trudeau patent.

When the lifter rod I2 is shifted upwardly, the litter pad carries the can end A and the body B up into tight clamping engagement against a rotating chuck I6. This seats the work for a seaming operation. The chuck is disposed above and in vertical alignment with the lifter pad and is secured to the lower end of a rotating vertical chuck shaft I1. The chuck shaft rotates in a pair of spaced bearings I3 formed in a head bracket I9 secured to the top of the frame column I4.

The chuck shaft I1 is driven which meshes with and is driven by a cooperating bevel gear 22 mounted on the inner end o! a horizontal drive shaft 23 journaled in bearings 24 formed in the head bracket I9. The drive shaft is rotated preferably by a belt pulley 25 which is mounted on the outer end of the shaft. Rotation of the chuck I through this bevel gear connection with the pulley 25, rotates the can end A and the can body B clamped against it by the lifter pad II. It is during this rotationof the can that the seaming operation is performed.

The seaming operation is performed by a pair of seaming rollers, a ilrst operation roller 3| (Fig. 4) and a second operation roller 32. The rollers are disposed adjacent the lower end of the chuck I6 in line with the flange on the can end A clamped against the chuck. These rollers are carried on the inner ends of a pair of spaced and parallel horizontal holders or slide bars 33, 34, respectively, that operate in slide grooves 35 (see Fig. l) formed in the top of the column I4 The slide bars are retained in their grooves by the head bracket I9.

The outer ends of the two slide bars 33, 34 are connected to respective pairs of toggle links 31, 38 which are anchored to respective adjusting screws 4|, 42 secured in spaced relation in a, boss 43 formed on a bracket 44 bolted to the back of the column I4. The middle joint of each pair of toggle links is pivotally connected to the upper end of a downwardly on opposite sides of the bracket 44. The lower ends of the rods project through guide lugs 46 formed on the sides o! the bracket.

Each support rod 45 carries a compression spring 41 which is coiled around the rod and which is interposed between the upper end of the rod and the guide lugs 46. These springs tend to force the respective toggle links upwardly into a nonoperating position and thus tend to hold the slide bars 33, 34 and the seaming rollers 3|, 32 in a normal retracted position away from the can clamped against the chuck I6 (as best shown in Figs. l and 4). Cotter pins 43 in the lower ends of the rods limit their upward travel and prevent them from being displaced from their guide lugs by the compression springs.

The pair of toggle links 31 connecting with the first seamlng operation slide bar 33 and roller 3|, is connected to a long vertical actuating link 53 which extends down through an opening 54 in the bracket 44. The lower end of thislink connects with the toot treadle, as shown in the 'Iru- -by a bevel gear 2| p deau patent or it may be connected with any other suitable means for actuating the rod through vertical movement. The upper end of the actuating rod is formed with an arm 55 which overhangs the toggle links 33 connecting with the second operation slide bar 34 and its seeming roller 32. The outer end of the arm carries an adjustable operating screw 55 which normally is spaced from the top of the second operation toggle links.

Hence, when the actuating link 53 is pulled down through action of the treadle or other means, it draws down on the first operation toggle links 31 against the resistance of the spring 41 while the second operation toggle links remain stationary. This pushes the connecting slide bar 33 and its rst operation seaming roller 3| forward into seaming engagement with the tlange of the can end A clamped against the chuck I5. This engagement of the first operation seaming roller partially turns the can end ilange inwardly against the can body B in the usual manner to perform the usual rst seaming operation inci-- dent to producing the can end seam C.

As the actuating rod 53 continues to move down, however, the operating screw 55 on the arm 55 engages against the top of the second operation toggle links 38 and forces them do'wn at the proper time against the resistance of their This movement of the toggle links forces the second operation slide bar 34 forward toward the rotating can and thus brings its seaming roller 32 into action against the reformed can end flange to complete the end seam C. This is a usual can end seaming procedure. It is ing this completion of the seam that the lubricant is applied thereto as hereinbefore mentioned and which will now be explained.

Application of the lubricant to the seam is brought about by a sponge rubber or other suitable wick 65 (Fig. 5) which is disposed in a short tube 55 threaded into a movable swing member 51. The swing member is located on the front of the machine and is hingedly connected by way o! a pivot pin 68 to a horizontal support bar 53 adjustably secured by bolts 1| to the iront of the chuck shaft lower bearing I3 (see also Figs. l and 4) The wick tube 66 is secured into the movable member preferably at an angle to approximately forty-five degrees, pointing toward the chuck |5. This tube communicates with an angularly disposed bore or well 13 formed in the member. The upper end of the bore opens into an enlarged bevel recess 14 which is located adjacent the hinge or pivot pin 68.

The weil recess 14 is below and in vertical alignment with a vertical passageway 15 formed in the bottom of the support bar 69. The lower end of this passageway is open. The upper end of the passageway connects with a horizontal passageway 16 which communicates with a sight feed drip cup or reservoir 11 threaded into the top of the support bar. This reservoir contains a supplyv of lubricant 18, preferably a wax emulsion or the like. The lubricant in the reservoir drips down into the passageway 15, 15 and falls into the well 13 in the movable member 51 and thus maintains the wick 65 saturated.

Normally the saturated wick 55 is held away from the chuck I6 in a retracted or swung-back position, as shown in Fig. l, 5|, one end of which is secured to the movable member 51. The opposite end of the spring is connected to a pin 82 secured in the side of the head bracket I3 (see Fig. 4) The spring mainby a tension spring tains the movable member 61 in engagement with an arm 83 bolted to the inner end of the second operation seamng roller slide 34.

Hence when the seaming roller slide bar 34, carrying the second operation seaming roller 32, moves inwardly to complete the can end seam C,

the movable member 61 and its wick 65 toward the rotating can clamped against the chuck I6. Near the end of the inward travel of the slide bar and just; as the end seam C is completed or as it is in its nal stages of completion, the formerly horizontally disposed can end flange has been moved or bent inwardly by the seaming roller into the path of movement of the lubricant saturated wick 65. The latter thereafter engages and wipes against the outer edge of the seam, as best shown in Fig. 3, and thus applies a, thin lm of the lubricant to this edge of the rotating seam in timed relation to the continued movement of the roller in completing the can end seam C. It is the applied lubricant that insures free rotation of the cover D when it is subsequently crimped in place on the can over the seam as hereinbefore explained.

After such a seam forming and lubricating operation, the seaming rollers 3|, 32 and the wick 65 shift back into retracted positions away from the can so that the latter may be removed from the machine. foot treadle or other actuating means as the case may be in the usual manner.

It is thought that the invention and many o1' its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement ofthe parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacricing all of its material advantages, the form he'reinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a can closing machine for sealing a flanged end to a can by reshaping of the anged end in a seam adapted to receive a rotatable cover 'I'his is eiected by release of the thereover, the combination of a seaming roller having movable means for supporting the same, lubricating means movably supported on the machine adjacent the can end to be seamed, said lubricating means being normally disposed out of contact with said can end seam and movable in a predetermined path, means to move the roller into engagement with said can end flange and bend the flange inwardly into the path of movement of said lubricating means, and means on the roller supporting means to move said lubricating means along said predetermined path to lubricate the seam after the roller has bent the ange inwardly, whereby said iiange is engaged by said lubricating means in timed relation to continued movement of said roller in completing the formation of said end seam, to condition the completed seam for the reception thereover of said rotatable COVeI.

2. In a can closing machine for sealing a flanged end to a can by reshaping the anged end in a seam adapted to receive a rotatable cover thereover, the combination of a seaming roller having movable means for supporting the same, lubricating means movably supported on the machine adjacent the can end to be seamed, said lubricating means including a lubricant saturated wick normally disposed out of contact with the can end seam and movable in a predetermined path, means to move the roller into engagement with said can end flange and bend the flange inwardly into the path of movement of said lubricating means, and means on the roller supporting means to move said lubricating means along said predetermined path to lubricate the seam by means of said wick after the roller has bent the flange inwardly, whereby the flange is engaged and lubricated by the wick in timed relation to continued movement of said roller in completing the formation of the end seam to condition the completed seam for the reception thereover of said rotatable cover, and means for supplying lubricant to said wick.

ARTHUR A. SAALBACH. 

